City residents worry over ‘Chanda’ menace

With the pujas right around the corner, menace of donation (<g data-gr-id="11">chanda</g>) collectors has increased. The public has started avoiding the NH-35 route as well as Jessore road out of fear of these donation collectors, who are stopping cars in the middle of the road and demanding donations for their respective pujas.

They were also harassing the <g data-gr-id="16">commuters</g> if they were refusing to pay them. The donation collectors were not even sparing the vehicles carrying sick people. Two people have already registered <g data-gr-id="18">complains</g> at Bongaon and Gaihata police stations which led to the arrest of three people from <g data-gr-id="17">Mandalpara</g>. Despite the action being taken by the police, the problem still persists.

A resident of Bangaon, who was returning from Vellore after a checkup, said some youth stopped their car near <g data-gr-id="19">Mandalpara</g> and demanded donations for their puja. “Even after my son told them repeatedly that we did not have any money and my health would deteriorate if I sit in the car for too long, they didn’t listen,” said the old man.